Lock knob and reversible spindle attaching means



R. c. CERF, JR

Feb. 20, 1951 LOCK KNOB AND REVERSIBLE SPINDLE ATTACHING MEANS FiledFeb. 14, 1949 FIG.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 3

It .J

INVENTOR ROBERT C. CERF JR.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 20, 1951 LOCK KNOB AND REVERSIBLE SPINDLEATTACHING MEANS Robert .C. Cerf, Jr.,.Los Angeles, Calif., assignor I toHollyrnade Hardware Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles,- Calif., acorporation of California Application February 14, 1949, Serial No.76,314

'5 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to 'adoor knob and spindleassembly andinparticular to an assembly ofa fabricated door knob,-a key-operated lockand a reversible tubular spindle.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple assembly forafabricated'door knob/and spindle adapted to enclose-akey-actuatedraxially disposed lock mechanism. Another object is toprovide a door knob assembly, including a keyactuated lock mechanism anda spindle which, after installation in a door set, cannot bedisassembled until the assem'bly'is releasedand disengaged from anassociated latching mechanism accessible only from-the opposite side ofthe'door. Still another objectis-to provide meansfor readily changingthe radialposition of the spindle so that the key slot may bediametrically reversed.

These and other objects of my invention are attainedby the illustrativestructure disclosedin the following description and the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view partly in elevationshowing the door knob, lock andspindle assembly'of my invention;

' Figure 2-is-'a cross-sectional view takenonthe line 2-2 of Figure lFigure-3 is a cross-sectional view-taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1with the sleeve 'l omitted andcertain parts shownin full lines;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to Figure 1 butwith the sleeve "shifted laterallyto the unfastened position;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of. Figure .4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 6-.6 of Figure 4with certain parts shown in vfull lines;

Figure 7 is a top plan'view with parts broken away and partly .insection, showing the knob core;

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the knob core;

and

tioned axially in the knob, with a tubular spindle extending from theknob body and with a shell closure member slidably mounted on thespindle.

vReferring to the drawings, the knob core I I which is preferably madeas a rigid die-cast member consists of a rim portion I2 Which,as shown,fol- .lows at least in part the inside contour of the outer shell of theknob and is provided with a central hub I3 which is attached to the rimportion by the disk member I4 which is offset inwardly from the rearwardopening 33 of the shell 20 at the contact edge I5 with said shell. Arectangular opening I6 extending from the hub toward the periphery isprovided in the disk I4, this opening continuing into the hub I3 andforming the hub slot I9, this opening and slot being arranged to admitand position the pin tumbler chamber of the key-actuated lock mechanismas will be described below. The hub 'I3is provided with a hub extensionI8 on the rearward end thereof, said hub extension I8 being only halfcylindrical and being disposed diametrically opposite the rectangularopening It. (In this description, the rearward positions are thoseadjacent ornearest the door on which the knob is intended to beinstalled, and the forward positions are those adjacent the outer orkeyhole face of the knob.) A detent boss 22 is provided on the outersurface of the hub extension I8, being adapted to engage one or theother corresponding slots or recesses 23 or 24 provided in the spindle26'. Two parallel slots .21 and 23 disposed at opposite sides of the hubextension I3 are provided in the disk member M, these .being arranged toengage fastening tabs 29and-30 on the spindle 26 as will be described. Ihe slots 27 and 28 are arranged so that the portions 21A and 28A abovethe diametrical dividing plane defining the edges of the halfcylindricalextension I8 (as represented in Figure 8) arelonger than the remainingportions 273 and 28B respectively below said plane.

The outer covering shell 20 consists generally of a spun sheet metalspheroidal knob which covers and isin contact wit-h the rim portion ofthe knob core I I. Thisshell is provided with an inturned margin 2|adjacent the forward end of the hub I3, and has a coaxial rearwardopening 33, larger than said hub making contact with the knob core atthe contact edge I5.

The tubular spindle 26 consists of a metal tube large enough to fit overthe hub extension I.8, provided at its end with fastening tabs 29 and3-0 by which the spindle is rigidly fastened'to the face of the diskmember I4, around said half cylindrical hubextension I8. The tabs 29 and30 are undercut on both sides to form upper tongues 3| and lower tongues32, the tabs including tongues-adapted to fit into theslots 2-1 and .28in the disk I4, and one pair of tongues, either M or 32 being adapted byslidingparallelto the slots to engage the edge of the disk It beyond theshort ends 213 .and 28B of the slots 21 and .28. The attaching end ofthe spindle is further provided with notches 34 disposed ondiametrically opposite sides intermediate the tabs 29 and 30, whichnotches are adapted to engage and hold the spindle in fixed relation tothe pin tumbler chamber 35 of the key-operated lock mechanism. Theopposite end of the spindle 26 is provided with a retractor lifter 31and also with a circumferential retainer slot 36 which is adapted toturnably hold the spindle to a latch mechanism housing (not shown) toprevent removal of the knob and spindle assembly.

The key-operated locking mechanism 39 is preferably of the kind known asa pi tumbler and cylinder lock consisting of a cylindrical casing 40enclosing a key cylinder 4| and having a pin tumbler chamber orextension 35 extending laterally from the outer wall of the cylindricalcasing 46. The key plug 4| which is adapted to be turned by the key K isretained in the cylindrical casing 46 by the turning bar connector 42which is attached to the end of the cylinder 4| by screws 42A, theturningbar (not shown) being turned by engagement in the :bar slot 43.

The shell closure member 44 consists of a conical disk 45 having acylindrical in-turned rim 46 which is adapted to fit closely within theedge of the rearward opening 33 of the outer covering shell at therecessed contact edge l5 in the knob core, being held in position byfrictional engagement. The shell closure member 44 is provided with aconcentric sleeve 4"! which is adapted to slide on the spindle 26.

The parts of the assembly are put together in the following manner. Atubular blank for the outer covering shell 26 is spun over the rimportion l2 of the knob core II, the in-t'urned margin 2| being formed onthe forward side, this margin being turned inside the hub l3. Therearward opening 33 in the shell terminates in the contact edge l5 whichadjoins the corresponding edge of the knob core. The disk I4 is disposeda short distance inside the rearward opening of the shell 20. The knobcore H and the outer shell 26 are spun tightly together to form asubstantially unitary body. The pin tumbler and cylinder lock mechanism39 is then inserted through the rearward opening with the end of the pintumbler chamber 35 abutting the inside of the outer shell, and the keyend of the cylindrical casing 40 abutting the in-turned margin 2| of theshell 20. The spindle 26 is then arranged over the hub extension l8, thefas tening tabs 29 and 36 being inserted in the slots 21 and 28, asshown in Figures 4, 5, and 6. The

spindle 26 is then shifted laterally parallel to the slots 2! and 28,whereby the lower tongues 32 (Figure 9) engage the inside wall of thedisk '|4 at the ends of the slots 21B and 28B. By the same lateralmovement, the detent boss 22 engages one or the other detent slot 23 or24 in the spindle 26. The spindle is thus secured to the disk l4 so thatit cannot be rocked. The shell closure member 40 is then slipped overthe free end of the tubular spindle 26 with its cylindrical rimfrictionally engaging the edge of the rearward opening of the shell 20at the contact edge I 5 of the knob core II, the sleeve 41' fittingaround the hub extension l8 and the enclosed spindle to keep them inaligned position. The provision of the two pairs of tongues 3| and 32and the corresponding diametrically opposed slots 23 and 24, togetherwith the opposite notches 34 for engaging the pin tumbler chamber 35,permits the positioning of the key slot so that the pin tumbler chamberwill be over the key cylinder 4|.

The advantages of my knob assembly will be apparent. The parts arereadily fabricated by standard metal working operations, and, whenassembled, the knob cannot be removed from the outside until releasedthrough removal of a retainer in the retainer slot 36 in the spindle 26.The rosette E shown in broken lines in Figure l effectively preventstampering with the shell closure member after the knob is fullyassembled and mounted on the door. The position of the key slot isreadily changed during installation of the lock set, to correspond tothe hand of the door.

I claim:

1. In a door knob and spindle assembly, a shell covered knob core havinga rim portion adapted to support said outer covering shell, said corehaving an internal coaxial hub adapted to hold a cylindrical typelocking mechanism, and a disk portion connecting said hub to said rimportion; said disk portion having a coaxial half cylindrical hubextension protruding from the face of said disk portion and also havingtab-engaging slots therethrough on both sides of said hub extension; anda tubular spindle having fastening tabs adapted to be inserted in saidslots, said tabs being provided with tongues adapted to engage said diskportion at the ends of said slots when said spindle is shifted laterallyon said half cylindrical hub extension to axially align said spindle andsaid hub.

2. The assembly of claim 1, and detent means on said half cylindricalhub extension engaged by a detent slot in said spindle, when saidspindle is aligned with said hub.

3. A door knob, lock, and spindle assembly comprising a knob core havinga rim portion adapted to support an outer covering shell, and having acoaxial hub extending from the front to the back of said knob andadapted to hold the cylindrical portion of a pin tumbler and cylinderlocking mechanism, and a disk portion having ofi-set tab-engaging slotsconnecting said hub to said rim portion, said hub and said disk portionhaving sectoral openings adapted to receive the pin chamber of saidlocking mechanism; an outer covering shell for said core, said shellhaving an in-turned margin around a forward coaxial opening adapted tocommunicate with said hub and with a coaxial rearward opening largerthan said hub; a tubular spindle extending from said disk portion;T-shaped tab means adapted to enter said tab-engaging slots in said diskportion to attach said spindle over the portion of said hub extendingrearwardly through said disk portion; a pin tumbler and cylinder lockmechanism having a cylindrical casing disposed in said hub and having apin tumbler chamber extending from said casing in said sectoral opening,said mechanism being held longitudinally between said shell and theattachment end of said tubular spindle; and a removable closure memberfor the rearward opening of said shell, said closure member having a hubadapted to slide over said spindle, and having a rim adapted to fit intothe rearward opening of said shell.

4. A door knob, lock, and spindle assembly comprising a knob core havinga rim portion adapted to support an outer covering shell, said corehaving a coaxial hub extending from the front to the back of said knoband adapted to hold the cylindrical portionof a pin tumbler and cylinderlocking mechanism, and a disk portion connecting said hub to said rimportion, said hub and said disk portion having sectoral openings adaptedto receive the pin chamber of said locking mechanism; an outer coveringshell for said body, said shell having an in-turned margin around aforward coaxial opening adapted to communicate with said hub and with acoaxial rearward opening larger than said hub; a half-cylindrical hubextension disposed on the rearward side of said disk portion; said diskportion being provided with slots on both sides of said extension; atubular spindle having tabs with tongues adapted to enter said slots,and adapted when said tabs are laterally shifted in said slots to engagethe disk portion at the ends of said slots whereby to attach the saidspindle to said disk portion of said knob core; a pin tumbler andcylinder lock mechanism having a cylindrical casing disposed in said huband having a pin tumbler chamber extending from said casing in saidsectoral opening, said mechanism being held longitudinally between saidshell and the attachment end of said tubula spindle; and a removableclosure member for the rearward opening of said shell, said closuremember having a hub adapted to slide over said spindle, and having a rimadapted to fit into the rearward opening of said shell.

5. In a door knob and spindle assembly, a knob core having a rim portionadapted to support an outer covering shell, said core having a coaxialhub adapted to hold a cylinder type locking REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 768,833 Voight Aug. 30, 19042,294,213 Schlage Aug. 25, 1942 2,430,727 Morgen Nov. 11, 1947

